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Thursday, June 28, 2012

When we think about being prepared for a party, we think food, snacks, decorations. When we think of the weather, we just look at weather.com to see if a storm is coming. But do we really look at the summer monsoon weather? It is all too common to have clear hot afternoons and stormy nights here in the Phoenix area. Not to mention the wall of dust being brought into the valley by high winds. When you look at the weather, all you get is an average daily look. The weather could call for clear skies and a chance of rain of 20%. But when you dive deeper into the specifics you may be surprised to see late afternoon showers and higher percentage of rain almost everyday. Or the monsoon will be unpredictable and not even show up for one night and the evening will be perfect.
I may not be a meteorologist, but I know that the heat and humidity go up throughout the day. At night, all of that heat and humidity builds up into a storm. Most days the storm is small, light cloud cover and mild winds. Some days it builds into a fast, furious quick storm. I have been in the inflatable bouncer and waterslide business for about 5 years now, and I have noticed that pattern. Hot, clear days and stormy nights. For the most part, the storms seem to come into the valley around 5 pm. This is real helpful when you are trying to plan a party. If you know when the storms normally come into town, then you can make sure your party will end in enough time for you to have fun and clear out before the winds and rain come in.
Here at Dreamland Bouncers, during the monsoon season, we recommend that you plan your party to end around 3 or 4 pm. This will ensure if the monsoon does build up, you can have all of your fun in sun and get cleaned up before mother nature makes a mess of things.
For those who want later parties, please understand the risks. We are not just talking about napkins and cups being blown around. We are talking about the safety of your kids and guests. For example, our 2 lane waterslide, the Master Blaster, weighs in at a monstrous 450 pounds. When you turn on the water and fill the pools, it adds up to 1200-2000 pounds of water weight. Even when the unit is properly staked down (using 18" large stakes can add 500 lbs of strength per stake), the wind can get the slide either tipped over or blown away. You don't need a hurricane to blow over an inflatable. Don't believe that wind can be that damaging. Just take a look after the monsoon hits as you will see broken branches and tipped over trees. If the wind can do that to a tree, just think what it can do to a vinyl, air filled balloon. After the wind does get a hold if it, the inflatable can still cause a lot of damage. Remember, although it is made up of vinyl, the inflatable still weighs up to a ton. That is a lot of weight that is being thrown about by the wind and can cause some pretty serious injuries and damage.
So remember when you start planning a party in the monsoon season, it is better to start around 11 am and end around 3 pm. As unpredictable as our Arizona weather can be, we want you to have a wonderful party regardless of what time of day your party is. We want you to be aware of the weather for your party date to ensure the inflatables can be used safely and enjoyed for the duration of your party.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dreamland Bouncers. 480-788-JUMP (5867)